CNY Solidarity Coalition

United in defense of our community and our neighbors

CNY Solidarity Newsletter – Feb 28 – Mar 7, 2023

From CNY Solidarity Coalition

Our Last Meeting: CNY Solidarity Zoom Meeting, 2/26/23 

Invest in Our New York (IONY) 2023: Becky Saletan of IONY, Presenter

See the proposed tax reforms and take action on the IONY website

See Action Alerts Below for actions you can take.

Next Meeting: 3/12/23 CNY Solidarity Coalition In-Person Meeting, Bishop Harrison Center

3 PM- 5 PM. Note the return to our 3 PM start during Daylight Savings Time

Facebook: https://fb.me/e/2b3CSwDoR

Please come, attend a session with one of our committees, then hear updates from all the committees!
New members and all interested people are welcome to come and learn about our efforts. 

ARTICLES OF THE WEEK:

New York Saw A 21% Spike In Millionaires In 2021, Even As Some Fled

The state Department of Taxation and Finance unveiled a new website earlier this month with a trove of data, graphs, charts and facts that show how much the state collects in taxes and who the money comes from.

Read it here in https://gothamist.com/

State Senate Announces Investigation Of County IDA Tax Breaks

Though the Orange County IDA is a major part of the Senate’s probe, the investigations committee will query IDAs across the state … the examination will include IDAs in the Syracuse and Buffalo areas, one on Long Island and one further upstate. Read it on the https://www.timesunion.com/

America Has A History Of Banning Black Studies. We Can Learn From That Past

“… over 900 districts nationwide suffered “an intentional campaign to restrict or ‘ban’” anything deemed “critical race theory”, according to The Conflict Campaign. These districts represent 35% of all students…”

Read it at https://www.theguardian.com/us  

We May Not Actually Need All That Lithium

Policies that made cities more walkable and public transit better and more accessible could lower lithium demand between 18% and 66%, while simply limiting the size of EV batteries could cut demand by up to 42%. In the best-case scenario, where multiple types of these policies were implemented, demand for lithium in the U.S. could be more than 90% lower than current estimates.” Read it on Gizmodo – https://gizmodo.comb

Here’s an article on ReZone Syracuse zoning changes proposals:

Syracuse Redefines What Makes A Home: Granny Flats, Row Houses And Other Affordable Housing  Read it Here on Syracuse.com

Bomb Train: Calls Grow for New Laws on Rail Safety After Toxic Disaster in East Palestine, Ohio Read it on www.DemocracyNow.org

Eight Lessons From Bernie Sanders’s New Book

It’s OK to Be Angry About Capitalism covers everything from the limitations of the Senate when it comes to passing legislation like Build Back Better, to the intense struggle for a Medicare for All system that enshrines health as a right to all, to the challenges of the future like automation and mobilizing a working-class coalition for change.

Read it here on Jacobin. Then buy the book. At a bookstore. Or demand that your library get it. 

New York’s Democratic Party Needs New Leadership, Not More Money

The state’s decrepit and incompetent political machine demoralizes voters and can’t deliver results. 

Read it Here on https://www.thenation.com/

ACTION ALERTS:

How can we support the Invest in Our NY  (IONY) campaign?

New York has one of the largest state economies in the country and the highest concentration of wealth anywhere. Millionaires, billionaires, and wealthy corporations have benefited from a rigged system that prioritizes their profits over the well-being of working New Yorkers. We can raise over $40 billion in public funds for public investments by transforming our tax system and raising taxes only on NY’s richest. 

Here are some steps you can take:

1.      Call and/or email your NYS Legislators: Find them and their contact info on our website Here

Tell them to make the Corporate Tax Bill permanent:

(S1980-Hoylman/Kelles/Shrestha) In 2021, as a result of our advocacy, the state added a new corporate tax bracket for businesses making over $5 million per year. This tax has generated in hundreds of millions of additional public dollars.. Unfortunately, this corporate tax is set to sunset in 2023. The Corporate Tax Bill will make the 2021 reforms permanent and increase taxes on corporate profits of over $2.5 million per year.

2.     Sign the IONY petition at https://www.investinourny.org

3.     Attend Your Legislator’s Public Events and advocate for the IONY program. See below for Assembly Members Magnarelli and Stirpe’s and Sen. May’s events.  

4.     Do some reading to familiarize yourself with the IONY platform and related issues. Start with the three documents at the bottom of the IONY page: https://www.investinourny.org. Continue with the articles from our 2/21 CNY Solidarity newsletter.

5.     Consider a Letter to the Editor after doing some of the suggested reading. 

CNY Solidarity Coalition Needs Some Help With Our Facebook Postings!

We will provide training and support. Just an hour or two a week would really help!

Please respond to cnysolidarity@gmail.com

Senator Rachel May Accepting Applications for Youth Advisory Board Here

For 2023, the Youth Advisory Board’s primary focus is on Environmental Justice and Environmental Racism legislation and policy issues. Board members will get hands-on experience while planning and implementing two events relating to these topics: the State of the Youth Rally and a Climate Justice Rally.

Help for earthquake victims in Syria and Turkey

Two of the most reputable organizations doing this work: www.oxfam.org    www.doctorswithoutborders.org

EVENTS/ACTIONS CALENDAR

Nicole Terez Dutton Reading at Syracuse University; Raymond Carver Reading Series

March 1, 2023, 5:00 p.m. Gifford Auditorium at SU

Preceded by Q&A session at 4:00 p.m. Open to the public.

https://thecollege.syr.edu/english-department/creative-writing-mf-program/raymond-carver-reading-series/

Nicole Terez Dutton’s work has appeared in CallalooPloughshares32 PoemsIndiana Review and Salt Hill Journal. … Her collection of poems, If One Of Us Should Fall, was selected as the winner of the 2011 Cave Canem Poetry Prize. She teaches in the Solstice Low-Residency MFA Program and is the Editor of the Kenyon Review.

Budget Town Hall Meeting With Assembly Member Al Stirpe

Wed., Mar. 1, 6;30-8 pm – Clay Town Hall, 4401 Rt. 31, Clay, NY

https://www.facebook.com/AssemblymanAlStirpe

Senator Rachel May’s 2023 Budget Town Hall – Cayuga County

Thursday March 2 At 6 PM

Cayuga Community College, Student Lounge, Room M214, 197 Franklin Street. Auburn NY

located across from the Theater (Enter the front doors on Franklin Street.)

Please join Senator May for a town hall to share your priorities for the 2023 state budget.

Community Information Night: Assembly Member Magnarelli

Thursday, March 2 • 6 p.m. Lakeside Fire Department, 1002 State Fair Boulevard 

Budget Town Hall Meeting With Assembly Member Al Stirpe

Thurs., Mar. 2, 6;30-8 pm – Cazenovia Free Library, 100 Albany St., Cazenovia, NY

https://www.facebook.com/AssemblymanAlStirpe

FOOD FOR ALL: Environmental Justice and Food Security

Thursday, March 2, 2023 – 7pm – ONLINE

Info/register: https://lwvtompkins.org

Discuss our food system from production to access to waste. Address challenges and sustainable solutions at the local and state level. Ensure a food system that is equitable, and protects our ecosystems.

Speakers:

Don Barber: Chair of the Food Policy Council of Tompkins County

Beth Radow: LWV-NY Issues Specialist, LWV-NY Energy, Agriculture & Environment Committee Chair


Exploring Ukrainian Literature: Ukraine Beyond the Headlines 

March 2, 3023 from 6-7:30pm

Register for this free event by emailing info@artragegallery.orgYou will receive a collection of short readings to read before the event. Pat Burak, a part-time assistant professor at Syracuse University of Ukrainian heritage, welcomes you to an evening exploring Ukrainian literature. As a contribution to the deeper background of Lida Suchy’s current exhibition “Portrait of a Village Ukraine” Burak will talk about Ukrainian culture as it has been presented and preserved in literature for centuries More inf0: https://fb.me/e/3pJ6w6SDW  

or  https://artragegallery.org/ukraine-beyond-the-headlines-exploring-ukrainian-literature/

How the Ultra-Rich Avoid Taxes, and Why It Matters for Our Democracy

Friday, March 3 | 4 PM EDT | Maxwell Auditorium. Campbell Public Affairs Institute     Register Here

Jesse Eisinger is a senior editor and reporter at ProPublica. Before joining ProPublica, he was a columnist for the Wall Street Journal, covering markets and finance. He is the author of “The Chickenshit Club: Why the Justice Department Fails to Prosecute Executives.” Eisinger won a Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting, for a series of stories on questionable Wall Street practices that helped make the financial crisis the worst since the Great Depression. More recently, he was the lead reporter on “The Secret IRS Files,” a series that explored the tax avoidance techniques of the ultra-wealthy. It won the Selden Ring and the Barlett & Steele prize.

A live stream link will be available from our website on the day of the event at Campbell Public Affairs Institute.

Communications Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be provided. Parking is available for a small fee in the Irving Garage. For additional accommodations and information, contact jjnocevs@syr.edu or 315.443.5850.

Communities Not Cages Virtual Advocacy Day – March 6

Communities Not Cages is a statewide campaign building the power of people and families impacted by mass incarceration to overhaul New York’s racist and unjust sentencing laws. Join us on March 6th, 2023 for a virtual #CommunitiesNotCages advocacy day. We’ll have a press conference, rally, power hour and meetings with dozens of lawmakers. On March 6, we’ll meet with lawmakers on Zoom to demand passage of the Eliminate Mandatory Minimums Act, Second Look Act, and Earned Time Act.

RSVP here to join us on March 6 to advocate for Communities Not Cages and invite friends, family, and colleagues. You can forward this email or post on social media using this social media toolkit. If you’re new to the campaign, learn more at the Communities Not Cages website here.

Utility Debt Relief & Energy Affordability Program Enrollment Workshop

March 6, 2023. 5 Pm – 7 Pm, Beauchamp Branch Library (Rescheduled from 2/23 due to weather cancellation.)

Alliance for a Green Economy. Info/registration: RSVP here

Struggling to afford utility and winter heating bills? You’re not alone. Millions of New Yorkers cannot afford their energy bills due to inflation, financial impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, inefficient homes and volatile fossil fuel prices. We will help you determine eligibility for debt relief and connect you with other programs. Free application assistance and Spanish translation services available.

Save the Dates

Worker Solidarity Day of Action

March 8th – Albany, NY

Workers and allies: Join us for a day of action in Albany to advocate for the Unemployment Bridge Program and Raise Up NY campaigns!

In 2023, we are holding New York lawmakers responsible for the treatment of workers across the state.

The WCCNY will gather in Albany on March 1st with the Raise Up NY Coalition.

Transportation will be provided from Syracuse for the mass mobilization to Albany on 3/1 and 3/8.

Anyone interested in attending these events please contact:

Mina Aguilar, maguilar@workerscentercny.org, (315) 218-5708 ex. 5

Climate Change: Impacts and Faith Based Response

Friday, March 10, 12:00pm – 1:30pm, ET 

GreeningUSA’s Next Virtual Green Bag Lunch!

Register here:  https://tinyurl.com/5cd2mvcr

This session addresses several aspects of Climate Change:

Faith Based Response: Theresa May, Associate Director, Catechesis, Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse where she has served since 2000. She is also a key member of the Diocesan Caring for Our Common Home Task Force as well as at St. Augustine’s parish in Baldwinsville. She feels genuinely blessed to be a part of God’s creation and future generations as the mother of 3, grandmother of 4 with 2 great granddaughters!

Science: Dr. Lawrence Tanner, Professor, Environmental Science Systems at Le Moyne College in Syracuse. He also serves as Director of the Center for the Study of Environmental Change at LeMoyne which serves as a node for the coordination of educational, research and outreach activities related to the environmental effects of Earth’s changing climate. By supporting the study and understanding of these effects in the local and global environment, the Center promotes a more just and sustainable society.

Syracuse DSA (Democratic Socialists of America) General Meeting

March 12, 4:00pm-5:30pm for the meeting 5:30-6:00pm for a social

Where: TBA and online on Zoom

We’ll look forward at our upcoming campaigns and projects and invite members to discuss how we can best accomplish the goals we set for ourselves this year in the convention.  RSVP HERE! Agenda here!

Housing Justice for All #OurHomesOurPower Albany Day of Action, 3/14 -. RSVP here!

Save the Date: Invest in Our NY Albany Day of Action, 3/21 – (more info soon!)

Syracuse Citizen Review Board (CRB): Acknowledging 30 Years!

April 5, 2023

10:30 AM Assembly @ Dunbar Center and Hopps Memorial Church

11:oo AM March to City Hall

12:00 PM Speakers: City Hall Steps

5:30 PM @ Nancy Cantor Warehouse: Reception; Discussion of the CRB’s past, Present, and Future

Listen to the Elders” Speaker Series

April 13, 6-7:30pm Nonviolent Action from Civil Rights to Climate Justice, Peter Graham Scholarly Commons, Bird Library Room 114. Activist and author George Lakey discusses his work with the Earth Quaker Action Team (EQAT), a mostly youth-led coalition, which he co-founded to pursue ecojustice at the intersections of race, class, queerness, and the climate crisis. See below to register. 

Listen to the Elders” Speaker Series

April 14, 9am-12pm Climate Justice Nonviolent Direct Action Training

Community Folk Art Center (CFAC), Civil rights leader and author George Lakey works with community leaders and university students, faculty, and staff to think carefully about how they can craft nonviolent social change campaigns to be inclusive, powerful, and successful. See below to register. 

Election Day: November 7, 2023 County, town, and village elections. More information can be found on the NY State Board of Elections page and at the Onondaga County Board of Elections Primaries will be in June.

ONGOING EVENTS:

Looking For Flexible  — No Meeting,  No Committee —  Opportunity To Oppose War And Oppression And Work For Peace And Social Justice?

We call it STREET HEAT: an easy, uncomplicated way –in solidarity with a handful of others — to  stand up and out for what we stand for. Greeting passing traffic at rush hour with hand-held signs, we want to get them thinking about the day’s crucial issues. 

First Tuesday Of The Month…4 to 4:45 p.m.: Killer drones                                                                                                                       

Hancock AFB (home of the 174th Attack Wing of the NYS National Guard), 6000 East Molloy Rd. 

across from the main gate. Park on the south shoulder.

Every Friday…4 to 4:45 p.m.    

West sidewalk of the broad intersection of Erie Blvd East & East Genesee St. in De Witt (across from the Fire Dept.)                                                              

For years our focus has been on solidarity with the people of Palestine; while the invasion of Ukraine persists, we also address that tragedy.

Our current stalwart team: Julienne, Les, Leslie, Geoff, Ed, Ann, Peter…. To learn more: Ed or Ann 315 478 4571

CNY Solidarity Coalition

Check out our Website and our Instagram.

Sign up for this newsletter Here

Twitter: @CNYSolidarity and @IndivisibleNY24

Facebook: www.facebook.com/cnysolidarity/  and 

www.facebook.com/groups/IndivisibleNY24

Mailing Address: 

CNY Solidarity Coalition
P.O. Box 6137, Teall Post Office, 226 Teall Ave., Syracuse NY 13217

To contribute: Donate Here through PayPalOr send checks to mailing address above

Our Committees: To sign up for each of the committee mailing lists, contact the person listed. 

Indivisible Onondaga County (Formerly Indivisible NY24): Contact: Deborah Rose: dcurryrose@gmail.com

Climate Justice: Contact: Dick Kornbluth dick@dickkornbluth.com

SLAT (State/Local Action Team) Contact: Peter McCarthy – pmccar1100@gmail.com  

Beyond War and Militarism. A joint committee of CNY Solidarity Coalition and the Syracuse Peace Council. Contact: Ron Van Norstrand: ron@vannorstrandlaw.com

CNY Solidarity Coalition contributes regularly to local progressive organizationsSyracuse Peace Council, National Action Network, and Urban Jobs Coalition, as well as to our mailing list provider, RiseUp. We also make occasional donations as needed to other local groups. We depend on our supporters’ contributions for this. 

To contribute: Donate Here through PayPalOr send checks to the mailing address above.

Peter McCarthy
Coordinating Committee
CNY Solidarity Coalition

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